Tank closure



ug. 3, 1943. H. w. BAILEY ET AL 2,326,003

TANK CLOSURE Filed Dec. 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3, 1943- H. w. BAILEY ET AL TANK CLOSURE 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5

Patented Augr3, 1943 2,326,003 TANKYCLOSURE Harry W.

Bailey and George A. Clay, Kansas City, Mo.

Application December 5, 1941, Serial No. 421,831

(or. zzosi) "3 Claims.

This invention relates to tank closures, such as manhole covers having a filling opening and a closure to reliably seal the filling opening. The chief object of the invention is to produce a construction of the character mentioned provided with a latch'mechanism which will automatically clamp the closure in closed position upon the starting or a tank wagon or the like, should the driver overlook shuttin the closure.

Another object or the invention is to provide means to be manually actuated for the better sealing of the filling opening. such means being also actuable for the unlatching of the closure when it is desired to fill the tank.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a resilient adjustable connection between a strong-back and closure so that adjustment may be readily made to accommodate wear on the" parts to insure automatic latching of the closure when it is swung to closed position.

With the general objects namedinview and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combination of parts as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to he had the at 1 -21 access to the tank opening.

Figure 5 is aho-rlzontal section on the line VV of-F'igure 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line VI-VI of Figure 5, to show means to prevent rotation of the closure.

Figure '7 is a reduced inverted plan view of the cover carrying frame for attachment to a tank.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hinged closure support.

In the said drawings. where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, l is a tank having an opening fitted with a combing or collar 2. Secured upon the combing in any suitable way is a manhole having a groove on its underside fitted with a gasket 4 in sealing engagement with the edge of the combing 2. Of course, the manhole cover 3 can be integral with the combing if it is not desired to provide a man-way into the tank. The manhole cover 3 has a. central filling opening surrounded by an upstanding flange 5, whose upper end provides a seat for sealing engagement with a gasket 6 carried by a filling opening closure 1.

At one side of the closure 1, the cover 3 is provided with a pair of upstanding ears 8 between which, one end of a strong-back arm 9 is pivoted, said strong-back 9 overlying the closure 1. The connection between the strong-back and the closure is preferably more or less resilient to insure firm sealing of the filling opening, said resilient connection, by preference, comprising a threaded stud l0 non-rotatably upstanding from the center of the closure 1. Threaded on said stud Iii is an externally cylindrical nut l I having flange 12 at its lower end, and having its body or cylindrical portion rotatable within an openin l3 inthe strong-back. The nut II is held in position and the closure is held to the strong-back by means of a plate l4 detachablv secured to the nut H by screws l5, said plate being of greater diameter than the opening l3 and overlying the upper face of the strong-back. This arrangement swivels the closure to the strong-back and permits adjustment of the nut H on the stud In, by engaging a spanner or the like with the holes which receive the screws !5. To prevent rotation of the closure in relation to the strong back, the former is provided with an upstanding car 16 received between dependin flanges ll of the strong-back. V

Resiliency of the connection between the closure and strong-back is secured by-interposing and strong-back, the not 1! l is run backwardly or forwardly on the stud Ill, and then is locked in the desired position through engagement of a set screw (9 carried by the closure I with any of a series of perforations 29 in the flange l2 of the nut ll. By preference, the parts are so proportioned and positioned that when the closure 7 is iullyyopen, the strong-back 9 stands at approximately ninety-one degrees. from the horizonital so that the slightest jar or vibration will overbalance the closureandcause it toiall to and the cover 3 are provided with cooperable latch mechanism, which, by preference includes bifurcati'ng the free endof the strong-back 9 to form a keeper 21m therebe'tween. .The keeperis adapted to interlock with a catch 2i (Figure 3), pivoted on ajpin 22 carried by ears'23 upstanding from the cover 3. The catch 21, when unrestrained, is always advanced to locking position intercepting the path of travel of the keeper 23a under the impetus of a catch-advancing spring 2s, the pivotal movement of said catch being limited by a stop extension 25 which by' engaging the cover 3, prevents the spring 24 from "advancing the catch too far for engagement with V keeper Ella, the distance between thestrong back 9 and, the closure i may be adjusted through manipulation of, the nut H,to insure that the keeper, in the closing movement, will move far enough to permit the catch to override and hook over the same. It will be noted that the fall of the strong-back from its upright position or if the strong-back is fully lowered by hand pressure, the keeper Eta eiiects repression'of the catch (Figure 4), through engagement with the upper curved face of the catch. the-latter instantly returning and overlying the upper face of the keeper under the action of its spring 24 (Figure 3') 1 In order to insure firm seating of the closur I if the adjustment between the closure and strong-back is not close enough to insure against vibration orup and down movement of the closure and'its gasket 6 relation to the edge of the flange 5, or 'nereiy as a precautionary measure or double lock, and also to provide convenient means for manually unlatching the closure "a for filling the tank or the like, the hinge pin 22 is extended beyond the ears 23 to provide a pivot for a manually operable sealing, locking and unlocking lever Edit. This lever 2564, when free, is spring-positioned at a determined point, preferably upright, for convenience of operation, bythe reaction of a coiled spring 26 encircling the pivot pin 22, one end of the spring abutting the lever 25 and its other end abutting a stop or ear 2'? carried by the cover 3 The lower end of the lever 25a is bifurcated to straddle the catch 2i, and said bifurcated portion terminates'in a cam surface 28 for cooperation with a of cam surfaces 29 on the bifurcated front end of the strong-back 9. The strong-back cam surfaces 25 terminate in a pair of locking notches 323 for engagement with the lever cam as willhereinafter appear. When the lever 25a is manually swung in one direction against the tension of its spring 23, ciamping coaction between earns 28 and 29 is eiiected, this action pressing the strong-back down against the spring washer is and tightening the closure '1 on its seat 5. The parts, by preference, are so proportioned that during the first part of the travel of cam 28 on came 25 the action is to oompressspring washer i8 as stated, but just before the 28 reaches the locking notches 30, the eiiective centers of rocking movement of the cams decreases, so that spring washer it slightly reacts to snap the cam 28 into their seatsin 'fnotche's'til and'thus reliably holdsthe lever 25 in substantiallyhorizontal position and prevents the same: from vibrating. V

7 To reiease the closure latch (keeper 28a and catch 2!), to permit opening of the closure '1, manual pressure applied to lever 25a in thereback to open the tank. If desired the strongback 9 and the locking lever 25 may be provided with cooperating upstanding ears 32, 32a respec tively for engagement with a padlock hasp (not shown) to lock the tank against unauthorized entry.

From the foregoing in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that we have produced a tank closure embodying the advantages set forth .as desirable in the statement of the objects of the invention, and which is presented in the most approved form at present known to us.

- Weclaim:

1. A tank cover having a filling opening, a closure therefor. a strong-back overlying and cooperable with the closure and pivoted at one end to the tank cover, a yieldingly-advanced latch mounted at a fixed point relative to the cover, for securing the other end of the strong-back to the tank cover, the strong-back terminating at its free end in a cam laterally-offset relative to the latch, and in a keeper in radial alinement with and for engagement by the latch, and also having a transverse notch, a forked lever mounted axially in fixed relation to the cover, with its fork arms straddling the latch and the free end of the strong-back when the same is in closed position, the lever at an intermediate point and within the fork, having a cam for successive engagement with the strong-back cam to depress the same and with said notch to retain the strong-back in depressed position.

, 2. A tank cover having a filling opening, a closure therefor, a strong-back overlying and c0- operable with the closure and pivoted at one end 'to the cover, and provided at its opposite end with a cam surface tapering toward its free extremity and with a transverse notch at the 0p- I posite end of said cam, a nut having holes in its upper end and swivelled in the strong-back, and provided with an external flange at its lower end having a circular series of holes, a spring-washer between and engaging the strong-back and said external fiange of the nut, means adjustably carried by the closure and engaging a selected hole of said flange, a plate detachably capping the upper end of said nut and resting upon the strong-back and rendering the holes in the upper end of the nut inaccessible for adjustment of the nut for affecting the tensional force exerted by the Washer to effect approaching or receding verse direction to that above, described, causes I I the rounded rear portions of its cam 23 to strike an extension foot 3 I, on the catch 2i. tion or" movement of lever 25 rocks the catch 2| Continuato'disengage it from the keeper 26a, and thus unlatches the strong-back so that it can be swung provided at its lower end with an external flange having a circular series of holes, a' spring between and engaging said flange and the underside of the strong-back, a plate detachably secured to'the upper end of the nut and overlapping the upper side of the strong-back, and means adjustably mounted on the closure to engage or withdraw from one of the series of holes in the nut-flange.

HARRY W. BAILEY. GEO A CLAY. 

